In the RF transmission of digital information, sampled data sequences are converted to analog signals and processed, subsequently, by various operations containing unwanted nonlinearities. The primary source of nonlinearity is the power amplifier (PA). Nonlinear behavior of the PA (or other devices) can be compensated using digital predistortion (DPD). That is, the correction signal is a sampled sequence applied prior to the PA to create a corrected signal which compensates for nonlinear modes in the transmitter.
The nonlinear behavior of the PA transfer characteristics can be classified as memoryless or memory based. For a memoryless nonlinear device, the nonlinear modes are functions of the instantaneous input value, x(t), only. In contrast, for a PA exhibiting memory effects, the nonlinear modes are functions of both instantaneous and past input values. In general, memory effects exist in any PA; however, the effect becomes more apparent when the bandwidth of the input signal is large. As a result, the correction of memory effects will become increasingly more important as wide bandwidth modulation formats are put in use.
Therefore a need presently exists for an improved digital predistortion system where, in addition to correcting memoryless nonlinearities, the specific problem of compensating for memory effects associated with the power amplifier is addressed.